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Monday, January 30, 2012

Life in Progress - Project Organization

I am an organizer and love a good list. Recently someone suggested Trello.com to me for organizing projects. I'm always ready to give a new organizing method a trial run but I'm looking for benefits the system brings to my creativity.

I have been very inspired lately and knew I had quite a few projects going. Still I have to confess I wouldn't have guessed I had 24 projects well in progress. I discovered this fact while converting my simple list of projects over to my Trello board.

It seemed like such a harmless stack of projects.

Quilters maybe familiar with the method of organizing projects

in shallow boxes like these water bottle flats.

Here's an example of one of my projects in progress. Doodle painting paper to become the cover of a book like the example included along with some potential text pages.

Seeing all the projects listed out had me very excited. I attached a quick snap shot to each. I find it a very visual way to organize. I can move the cards for each project around on my list depending on my current focus. I can make notes of progress or insert a to do list for more complicated projects like quilting or bookbinding. It can be as simple or detailed as I need. It allows me to see my projects at a glance and get right to work knowing where I left off.

It has of course confirmed for me I need to focus on the things I already have started. As they are completed I am moving them to another list of completed projects for future reference. Another list catches all the ideas for potential projects.

Do you work on one project at a time or bounce around between several? Even find you have to rein in your inspiration?

What's your favorite organizational system?

My next goal is to set up a system to organize my digital images. If your like me you'll want to check out Tammy's new series at Daisy Yellow -